


The Arc of Conflict, Fragment e17,1: tea and pastries

by bzarcher, solarbird



Series: Of Gods and Monsters [105]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Lesbian Character, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Cults, F/F, Gods, Military, Oasis (Overwatch), Polyamorous Character, Post-Talon, Post-Talon Widowmaker | Amélie Lacroix, Religion, Religious Cults, Research, Science, Talon Emily (Overwatch), Talon Lena "Tracer" Oxton, Tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:20:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22763893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bzarcher/pseuds/bzarcher, https://archiveofourown.org/users/solarbird/pseuds/solarbird
Summary: Katya Volskaya's government in Russia has destroyed the omnium Koschei, and held their own against the Gods of Oasis. With no point to additional fighting, the overt war has paused. But covertly, the conflict carries on. The gods, after all, still have a plan, and will do what is needed - one way, or another.Moira O'Deorain is determined to find the cause of these strange new cults. Fortunately, Dr. Konyegwachie is willing to take on the project.But first, some tea.Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflictis a continuance ofThe Arc of Ascension,The Arc of Creation, andThe Armourer and the Living Weapon. To follow the story as it appears,please subscribe to the series.
Relationships: Emily & Moira O'Deorain, Emily/Lena "Tracer" Oxton/Widowmaker | Amélie Lacroix, Emily/Widowmaker | Amélie Lacroix, Moira O'Deorain & Lena "Tracer" Oxton, Moira O'Deorain & Widowmaker | Amélie Lacroix
Series: Of Gods and Monsters [105]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/972024
Comments: 14
Kudos: 38





	The Arc of Conflict, Fragment e17,1: tea and pastries

**Author's Note:**

> dirtyclaws has launched [a public fan-run _Of Gods and Monsters_ discord server](https://discord.gg/pDZMpVT) and invites everyone to come join it. ^_^

Moira strode determinedly down the hallway towards her primary lab, pleased to have a start on working out this cultish nonsense.

Dr. Konyegwachie's curiosity had been piqued by Dr. O'Deorain's data, limited though it might be. Moira had left out Angela's personal local cult, that was a little too close to home, but included everything else. And while she didn't have the time in her schedule to lead the work herself, a couple of applications for postdoc positions in her lab included notes on the applicants' interest in historical societal development of religion. This project would almost certainly be close enough to be of interest - particularly given the possibility of a first-author publication.

Assuming, of course, that the extra funding could be found. Money, as always, fuels the work.

"I'm sure the Ministry will have no issues with that," Dr. O'Deorain had replied, "as long as your hands remain on the reins. We need someone with a greater depth of expertise than a postdoc."

"Obviously," Dr. Konyegwachie replied. "But as long as you are happy with them doing the lion's share of the work..."

"Of course."

"And the lion's share of the credit, come publication time..."

"Those who do the work deserve the credit for that work."

"Then my group will be happy to take it on. If what you're telling me bears out to independent analysis, it would be fascinating to follow as it happens. The rise of a new religion in the modern era..."

"Please don't call it that."

"If what you're telling me is true, it _is_ that, and it doesn't matter how much you think of it as nonsense." She grinned. "It's one thing to have some little cult compound sprouting up somewhere, those happen all the time. And political cults of personality - those are infamous. But this... this is neither. It is different."

"I was hoping it would catch your interest, at very least."

"It does. Even the Mormons had a prophet, and that's about the closest to this in modern times, and... well. I shouldn't assume anything. That would be a bad start."

She glanced again over the high-level but fascinating documents laid out in front of her. 

"If I weren't already so busy with other work, I would absolutely leap on this myself. But leading a new team is the best I can do with my schedule - assuming, again, funding."

"While I cannot speak for the board explicitly, I assure you that funding will not be an issue." She used that tone which made such arrangements final, and Dr. Konyegwachie smiled.

"Then I will have my secretary arrange interviews within the week." She chuffed a little bit of a laugh. "It's a good thing you came in when you did, I was about to have to give these otherwise-delightful applicants a no. That's always hard, when the candidates are so good."

"I understand how that feels all too well," Moira replied, having been rejected many times herself for similar reasons as a postdoc, all those many years ago. She rose, and offered her hand. "Thank you for your time - and your willingness to take on this project."

"Not at all," Dr. Konyegwachie replied, standing behind her desk, taking Moira's hand. "Just don't expect immediate answers - this isn't something you can test in a simulator, or accelerate with nanites."

"If only I could."

Moira's reverie broke as she reached the gateway leading off to her section. She turned and strode through the automatic doorway and into the primary genetics research nexus - a cluster of small and medium sized laboratory modules, each complete with isolatable facilities, their own clean rooms, and support systems, hexagonal clusters of research space set in a ring around her personal laboratory and office, the individual labs reconfigurable essentially at will, all the way from core utilities down to individual bench heights.

Most groups left the basic arrangement alone, finding the combination of privacy and ease of movement struck a good balance. A couple of laboratory sub-heads had pushed everything into rectangles, instead, insisting that rooms should only have right angles, and she hadn't cared to argue. One group made everything circular and smooth, using the resulting hidden spaces for utilities cores, entirely eliminating all corners. Moira found that one a bit unnerving, but... well. It's their lab, and as long as they're productive, what else could one possibly ask?

She smiled, something she hadn't always been known for doing, as she walked around the central ring surrounding her own facility, the bathrooms, and the common kitchen. _I love this building. I'm so glad we brought Satya onboard_ , she thought, before checking the daily lab calendar, displayed by default on the kitchen's far wall. _Nothing else until after lunch. Good. I have samples to check._

Humming to herself, she waved hello to Sylvia and Gerry, her lab assistants - being able to keep lab assistants for more than a couple of months had been a new development following Angela and Fareeha's arrival - before ducking into her office and grabbing her lab coat.

_Oh, I should've got tea, while I was in the..._

Moira stared down at the small pastry and tea on her desk, still warm.

She picked up the tea, automatically - _I didn't order this..._ \- and took a sip.

_Perfect._

As she put the cup back down, she felt a little chill run down her spine.

_Oh no._

\-----

Emily ghosted up to Danielle and Lena as they walked across the parade grounds, en route to the daily situation briefing. "Hi, luvs. Sorry I'm late."

"You are not late," Danielle noted, leaning over, and kissing her on the side of the head. "You are almost exactly on time."

"Am I?" She stretched up tall and returned the kiss. "Oh good."

"Where were ya, luv?" Lena asked, as she flipped through pages on her padd, doing the reading at the last minute as always. "I'm usually the one just makin' it here..."

"Oh, nowhere important," Emily said, chipper as always. "Just dropping something off."

The first Weapon eyed the second with a cool gaze.

"You are hiding something. I can tell."

"Me? Never!"

"You are trying not to giggle. It is not obvious, except to me."

"Is she?" Lena asked, curiously. Even after this much time, Danielle could still read Emily better than she could, and she knew it.

"Yes, she is," Danielle said. "You have been up to something, Emily. What?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all."

Danielle snorted. "Liar."

"Just dropped something off..." Emily said, trying not to grin, her lips pressed together in a twitching line. "...at the Ministry..."

 _Oh no_ , Lena thought, before she spun 'round, putting her hands out, stopping both her wives in their tracks.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with our little chat last night, would it?"

"Why would you say that?" Emily asked, cheerfully.

" _Em..._ "

"No!"

" _EM._ "

"...might've done..." she said, her lips quavering a bit.

"Oh gods," said Lena, dropping her arms, but still standing in the way. "What did you do?"

Emily's giggles burst out behind the dam, spilling out in little bubbles of mirth. "Nothing! Much."

"I'm gonna get a call from mum, aren't I."

"How would I know?"

"You are _definitely_ going to get a call from Moira," Danielle deadpanned.

"What. did. you. do." Lena demanded.

"Nothing!"

"Tell her," threatened Danielle.

"I just thought... she might like some tea, that's all."

"Tea," Lena said, dubiousness in her voice. "That's all."

"....and a kanafah."

Lena made a frustrated noise, a drawn out exasperated _nnnnnngngnnggh_ sound. "I BARELY TALKED HER DOWN LAST NIGHT! This'll wind 'er right back up again!"

"I _know_ ," Emily giggled. "It was hilarious."

Danielle snorted at that, but grabbed two arms, one from each of her wives, and propelled them forward again. "We are _going_ to be _late_. Move it."

"Bloody..." Lena sighed, pulling up her phone as she walked. "I have to ring her up."

"No!" Emily begged, grabbing at the phone. "Let her find it first. Then you can call."

" _Em_..." Lena said, dodging her wife's grabby hands.

"C'mon!" Emily put those hands together, begging. "Pleeeeeeeeeease?"

"I love you, but you have a wicked mean sense of humour sometimes, y'know that?"

"Only for Auntie," Emily insisted. "Someone has to keep her in line."

"That is usually my job," Danielle interjected.

"It's a _big job_ ," Emily retorted. "You need help!"

Lena thought about it for a moment, and sighed. "Fine. But if she's screaming, this time, _you're_ talking her down."

Emily bounced as she reached the end of the walkway, and giggled some more. "Okay! That's fair."

"I'll hold y'to that," Lena said, hopping up the stairs to the briefing centre.

"So will I," added Danielle, opening the door.

Lena's phone buzzed. She looked at the picture of her mother on the screen, and handed the phone to Emily before stepping inside.

"It's for _you_."

**Author's Note:**

> This is the thirty-fourth instalment of _Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflict_. To follow the story, [subscribe to the series via this link](https://archiveofourown.org/series/972024), rather than to the individual works.


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